ABAT Ethical and Professional Conduct 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A BCBA's client is a minor whose parents are divorced. Both parents have legal custody. One parent consents to a new intervention; the other objects. What should the BCBA do?
- Proceed with the intervention since one consenting parent is sufficient
- Withhold the intervention until both custodial parents provide consent or a legal resolution is reached (Correct answer)
- Ask the child for assent and proceed based on that
- Defer entirely to the school district's decision if the child receives school-based services
Correct answer: Withhold the intervention until both custodial parents provide consent or a legal resolution is reached
When both parents share legal custody, obtaining consent from both is necessary; proceeding without full agreement risks ethical and legal violations.
Question 2: Which of the following is an example of a BCBA appropriately maintaining professional boundaries?
- Accepting a small gift from a client's family during a holiday to preserve rapport
- Declining social media friend requests from current clients and their families (Correct answer)
- Attending a client's birthday party to strengthen the therapeutic relationship
- Texting a client's parent from a personal phone for convenience
Correct answer: Declining social media friend requests from current clients and their families
Declining social media connections with current clients helps maintain clear professional boundaries and protects client confidentiality.
Question 3: Under the BACB Ethics Code, what must a BCBA do before discontinuing services with a client?
- Provide a minimum of 30 days written notice to the funding source only
- Ensure continuity of care by providing referrals and transition planning to avoid client abandonment (Correct answer)
- Obtain written permission from the BACB before terminating any ongoing case
- Transfer all records to the new provider before the final session
Correct answer: Ensure continuity of care by providing referrals and transition planning to avoid client abandonment
BCBAs must take steps to ensure continuity of care, including transition planning and referrals, to prevent abandonment when discontinuing services.
Question 4: A BCBA is asked by an employer to implement a behavior plan that, in the BCBA's professional judgment, could cause harm to the client. The employer insists. What should the BCBA do?
- Implement the plan as directed because the employer holds final authority
- Refuse to implement the plan and document the refusal, escalating if necessary (Correct answer)
- Implement the plan but document personal disagreement in a private journal
- Request that the employer obtain a second opinion before proceeding
Correct answer: Refuse to implement the plan and document the refusal, escalating if necessary
BCBAs are obligated to protect clients from harm and must refuse to implement procedures they believe are harmful, regardless of employer directives.
Question 5: Which statement about the BCBA's responsibility regarding cultural humility is most accurate according to professional standards?
- Cultural preferences are secondary to empirically validated procedures and can be disregarded
- BCBAs should actively seek to understand and incorporate clients' cultural backgrounds into individualized service delivery (Correct answer)
- Cultural considerations apply only to language differences, not other cultural variables
- It is the family's responsibility to adapt to standard ABA procedures, not the BCBA's to adapt services
Correct answer: BCBAs should actively seek to understand and incorporate clients' cultural backgrounds into individualized service delivery
The BACB Ethics Code requires BCBAs to consider cultural, linguistic, and individual differences when designing and delivering services.
Question 6: A BCBA realizes mid-case that the presenting problem falls outside their area of competence. What is the ethical obligation?
- Continue services while independently studying the relevant literature
- Disclose the limitation to the client and refer to or consult with a qualified professional (Correct answer)
- Transfer the case immediately without providing any transition support
- Seek competence only if the client or family raises concerns about service quality
Correct answer: Disclose the limitation to the client and refer to or consult with a qualified professional
BCBAs must practice only within their areas of competence and must disclose limitations, referring to qualified professionals when a case exceeds their expertise.
Question 7: A BCBA is subpoenaed for records related to a client's legal case. The client has not provided authorization to release records. What should the BCBA do first?
- Release all records immediately to comply with the legal subpoena
- Consult with legal counsel before releasing any records to understand obligations and client protections (Correct answer)
- Destroy the records to protect client confidentiality
- Contact the BACB ethics department before taking any action
Correct answer: Consult with legal counsel before releasing any records to understand obligations and client protections
Consulting with legal counsel before responding to a subpoena helps BCBAs navigate the tension between legal compliance and ethical confidentiality obligations.
ABAT Ethical and Professional Conduct 5
A BCBA's client is a minor whose parents are divorced.
Both parents have legal custody.
One parent consents to a new intervention; the other objects.
What should the BCBA do?